Wire-grip.



J. T. PERGUsoN.

WIRE GRIP.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 7. 1910.

Patented Mar. 19, 1912.

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Witnesses fljfjgyw@ t Attorneys UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JESSE THOMAS FERGUSON, OF HICKORY, MISSISSIPPI.

WIRE-GRIP.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, JEssE THOMAS FER- GUSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hickory, in the county of Newton and State of Mississippi, have invented a new and useful vWire-Grip, of which the follow ing is a specification.

It is the object of the present invention to provide an improved wire grip for use in connection with practically any ordinary wire stretching device.

The invention aims primarily to provide a grip which will in no way injure or weaken the wire and which may be quickly applied to and disengaged from the wire.

Another aim of the invention is to provide a wire grip embodying spaced arms one having a rearwardly presented wire engaging hook and the other having at its end a wire receiving kerf, the wire to the stretched being engaged first with the hook and then flexed and engaged in the kerf, the flexing of the wire serving to assist the wire engaging hook in gripping and holding the wire.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the device, embodying the present invention, the same being shown in use. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the device. Fig. 3 is a detail horizontal sectional view through one of the arms of the device.

In the drawings, the device is illustrated as formed from a suitable length of rod material which is bent u pon itself to form spaced arms, one of which is indicated by the numeral 5 and the other by the numeral G. These arms are connected, of course, by the bend in the rod and this bend is inflieated by the numeral 7 and is designed for the connection of a stretching rope or the like 8, this rope or other similar element being designed to be wound upon a drum, to be pulled by a lever, sliding bar, or to be, by any other suitable means pulled or stretched in a direction to stretch the wire gripped by the device embodying this invention.

At one end, the arm 5 is bent back upon itself to form a rearwardly extending hook 9. This hook lies at an acute angle to the Specication of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 7, 1910.

Patented Mar. 19, 1912.

Serial No. 591,051.

adjacent portion of the arm whereby a wire receiving kerf 10 is afforded between the hook and the said portion of the arm. The arm 6 is flattened at its end as at 11 and is formed in its flattened portion with a wire receiving kerf' 12. It will be observed that while the walls of both kerfs 10 and 12 are substantially vertical, the two kerfs open in opposite directions. That is the kerf 10 opens in the direction in which the device is moved during the wire stretching operation whereas the kerf 12 opens in an opposite direction.

In using the device, it is assembled with the wire to be stretched by first engaging the hook 9 with the wire. The wire is then flexed and engaged in the kerf 12, the angle of flexure being substantially as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings. It will be readily understood that the function of' the kerf 12 in the arm 6 is to hold the wire flexed beyond its point of engagement in the kerf 10, thus the kerf 10 is materially assisted in gripping the wire between its walls. Furthermore it will be readily understood that after the wire has been stretched and secured to an adjacent post, the rope S is to be slackened and the grip is to be swung down so that its two kei-fs will be substantially in horizontal alinement. The grip may then be either completely disengaged from the wire or may be slid along the wire to some other point at which the wire is to be gripped in the succeeding stretching operation.

lVhat is claimed is:

The combination with a tension member having an eye in one end, of a U-shaped wire grip threaded through the eye and adapted to slide therein, the grip having enlargements at its ends, one of which is provided in its end with a V-shaped notch, the other of which enlargements, is a hook, forming a V-shaped notch with the body portion of the grip.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, `I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JESSE THOMAS FERGUSON.

IVitnesses J. E. MADDox, C. E. HAMMOND.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

